Monkey-wrench.



A., j .,X, l u a J A a ...I wivam I nventlg by A Attorneys Witnesses FRANK WILHELM BRONOSKY, OF MINDEN, WEST VIRGINIA.

MONKEY-WRENCH.

Loeaece.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 24, 1914.

Application led June 26, 1913. Serial No. 775,979.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK W. BRoNosKY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minden, in the county of Fayette and State of West Virginia, have invented a new and useful Monkey-VVrench, of which the following is a specification. Y

This invention relates to improvements in monkey wrenches, the object of the invention being to provide an adjustable jaw of the ratchet bar type whereby a wide range of adjustment and a nicety of regulation may be had.

A further object of the invention is to provide the adjustable'jaw` of a monkey wrench with a ratchet bar and coacting therewith is a plurality of pawls, the distance between which is either greater or smaller than therespective distances between the teeth of the ratchet bar.

A still further object of the invention is is to provide a monkey wrench with a mov` able jaw with resilient means cooperating therewith whereby the jaw will be forced into contact with the stationary jaw and to provide an actuating plate secured to the wrench handle and which is adapted to force a plurality of pawls into engagement with the ratchet bar of the movable aw, there being a resilient connection between each pawl and the said actuating plate. The pawls are spaced apart a distance which is proportional to the distance between the ratchet bar teeth so that the wrench will be adjustable through distances equal to the spacing of the ratchet teeth divided by the number of pawls.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood thatchanges in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invent-ion.

1n the drawings accompanying this specification and forming a part thereof, the preferred form of my invention is illustrated in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved form of wrench. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a top plan view. Fig. 4 is a top plan View with portions thereof removed, disclosing the internal construction. Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. t. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a somewhat modiied form of wrench, illustrating in detall the manner in which the pawls are mounted. Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view of the principle of operation of the modified form of wrench shown in Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the shank 7 is provided with the stationary aw 8 in conjunction with which is the movable Vjaw 9.

The shank 7 extends rearwardly and is enlarged to form the handle 10. The movable aw 9 is provided with a rearwardly eX- tending portion 11 to which is secured or which is formed as a ratchet 12. The handle 10 forms a housing forV the rear eXtension 11 and is provided with a spring 13 therein, which tends to normally hold the movable jaw 9 into contact with the stationary jaw 8, as illustrated in Fig. 1. In this connection, mention is made of the fact that the movable jaw 9 extends a slight distance below the stationary jaw 8 whereby the said movable jaw may be brought into contact with a nut and the jaws forced apart without requiring the operator at any time to remove his hands from the wrench handle for the actuation of the movable jaw.

The handle 10 is provided with a number of slots 14 extending transversely there through, which slots house and mount for sliding movement, the beveled ended pawls 15. The` spacing of the pawls is of extreme importance and depends upon the number of pawls and also the respective length of the ratchet teeth. The pawls are spaced apart a multiple of the teeth spacing plus the distance between a single tooth divided by t-he number of pawls, the distance being measured off from the next adjacent pawl. Thus if the ratchet teeth are spaced a distance apart designatedv by A the spacing between two adjacent pawls will be M times A plus Va divided by a (which iS-MAJV) Whe M is an integer and n the number of pawls.

As illustrated in Fig. 2, an actuating plate 16 is secured to the handle 10 and is provided with the downwardly extending flange 17 which engages the springs 18 which latter are vsecured to and normally hold the pawls out of engagement withthe ratchet 12. As illustrated in Fig. 4, each of the pawls is provided with a number of slots therein, the number being the same as the number of pawls between'it and the spring holding plate 19. The resilient manner in which the pawls are mounted provides that with the actuating plate 16 raised, the pawls will be raised out of engagement .with the ratchet teeth which allows the sliding jaw to move freely in either direction.V However when the actuating plate 16 is grasped and moved inwardly by the palm of the hand coming Vso pawls is somewhat modified and comprises the spring loops 20. However, it will be readily apparent that the form and nature of thevr pawls vand the mountings therefor may be changed as circumstances dictate. As there are four of the pawls illustrated in the modified form, however, it will be readily apparent that the number depends entirely upon the required adjustment of the movable' jaw. Thus with the fourpawls and the teethV of the ratchet spaced a quarter of an inch apart, a possible adjustment will be hadof one sixteenthV of an inch.

In the practical use of my improved form ofV wrench, the movable jaw 9 is brought into contact with one of the milled surfaces of the nut and the actuating plate being in raised position will hold the pawls normally out ,of engagement with the ratchet teeth so that by suitable pressure brought to bear upon the wrench handle, the movable jaw willbe retracted for the insertion ofthe nut between the two jaws. The hand of the operator is moved to lower the actuating plate 16 which will force the pawls inwardly and one Vof the same will fully seat wit-hin the ratchet teeth and prevent further movement of the jaws. The turning of the wrench will result in a corresponding rotation of the nut. When, however, it is desired to return the.` wrench to its original position without the Ycorresponding reverse rotation of the nut, the actuating plate is released which Vdue to the resilient manner in which the same is Ymounted, readily springs outward with the result that the pawls will be sprung out of engagement with the ratchet teeth and the nut will force the two jaws apart,

as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. However, the spring which is secured to the movable jaw immediately presses the same forward into engagement with the flat sides of the nut and then by lowering the actuating plate, the pawls are again brought into active engagement with the ratchet teeth and a further forward rotation of the nut may then be effected.

It is noted that obvious changes in the structural features of some of the parts may be varied. Thus the springs 20 may be in the nature of coils rat-her than the flat springs illustrated. vAlso the pawls may be made square or of other desirable shape without departing from the spirit of t-he invention.

Having fully described the invention, what I claim to be new and original with me is- 1. A monkey wrench, comprising a stationary jaw, a shank connected thereto, a hollow handle connected to said shank, said handle provided with transverse openings extending therethrough, vbeveled ended pawls mounted for sliding movement within said transverse openings and held against rotatory motion, a movable jaw extending beyond the end of the said stationary jaw, a shank connected thereto, a resilient member connected to the movable jaw shank and to the said wrench handle adapted to normally hold the movable jaw in Contact with the stationary jaw, a ratchet bar connected to the said movable jaw shank, said ratchet bar adapted, to move in front of the said handle, transverse openings, the said pawls adapted to engage the said ratchet teeth at varying portions along the respective teeth to thereby increase the adjustment of the said movable jaw proportional to the number of pawls, an actuating plate resiliently secured to the said handle, said actuating plate being provided with a downwardly eX- tending flange, and resilient supports engaging the said pawls adapted to hold the same normally out of contact with the ratchet teeth, said downwardly extending flange adapted to engage and move the said pawl supports for bringing the said pawls into engagement with the ratchet teeth.

2. A device of the class described, comprising a stationary jaw, a handle connected thereto, a movable jaw, a handle connected thereto and slidably fitting within the aforee mentioned handle, the movable jaw handle provided with rack bar teeth, a plurality of pawls slidably disposed within the stationary jaw handle and adapted to engage the rack bar teeth of the movable jaw handle, a plate carried by the stationary handle and provided with a downwardly extending iange, a plurality of resilient spring 1nembers secured to the stationary jaw handle and engaging the pawls adapted to normally hold tlie same out of engagement with the rack bar teeth, the downwardly extending flange of the aforementioned plate adapted In testimony that I claim the foregoing to Contact with the resilientl spring members as my own, I have hereto affixed my signato simultaneously force the same into enture in the presence of two witnesses. gagement With the rack bar teeth for hold- FRANK WILHELM BRONOSKY.

5 ing the movable jaw in adjusted spaced re- Witnesses:

lation taken with respect to the stationary JOE BRONOSKY, jaw. C. Gr. MCDOWELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for tlve cents each, by lddressing the Commissioner .t intents. Washington, D. C. 

